Prime Minister's Office
English rendering of PM's address at inauguration of International Museum Expo- 2023
My colleagues in the cabinet G. Kishan Reddy ji, Meenakshi Lekhi ji and Arjun Ram Meghwal ji, Director of Louvre Museum Manuel Rabate ji, guests from different countries of the world, other dignitaries, ladies and gentlemen! I wish you all a very Happy International Museum Day. Today, the stalwarts of the museum world have gathered here. Today's occasion is also special because India is celebrating Amrit Mahotsav on the completion of 75 years of its independence.
Different chapters of history are coming alive through modern technology in the International Museum Expo too. When we visit a museum, we feel as if we are being introduced to the past, that era. What is seen in the museum is based on facts and evidence. In the museum, on the one hand, we get inspirations from the past, and on the other hand, we also realize our duties towards the future.
Your theme – ‘Sustainability and Well Being’ -- highlights the priorities of today's world and makes this event more relevant. I am sure your efforts will further develop the interest of the young generation in museums and will introduce them to our heritage. I congratulate all of you for these efforts.
I got the opportunity to spend a few moments in the museum before I came here. We often get the opportunity to attend many government and non-government programs, but I can say proudly that the planning and execution efforts helped in creating a huge impact on the minds of everybody. And I believe that today’s occasion will be a huge turning point for the world of museums in India. This is my firm belief.
Friends,
The long period of hundreds of years of slavery also caused a loss to India as a lot of our written and unwritten heritage was destroyed. Many manuscripts and libraries were burnt and destroyed during the period of slavery. This is not only India's loss, but it is the loss of the whole world, the entire human race. Unfortunately, the efforts that should have been made to preserve our heritage after independence have not been enough.
The lack of awareness among the people about the heritage led to further loss. Therefore, one of the ‘Panch Pran’  taken by the country during the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal’, ‘Taking pride in our heritage’, holds importance. Along with preserving India's heritage, we are also creating new cultural infrastructure during the ‘Amrit Mahotsav’. There is also a history of freedom struggle as well as a cultural heritage of thousands of years in these efforts of the country.
I am told that you have given special importance to local and rural museums in this event. The Government of India is also running a special campaign to preserve the local and rural museums. Efforts are being made to preserve the history of our every state, every region and every society. We are also building 10 special museums to immortalize the contribution of our tribal community in the freedom struggle.
I feel that this is a unique initiative in the whole world in which such a comprehensive glimpse of tribal diversity can be seen. The Dandi path that Mahatma Gandhi walked during the Salt Satyagraha has also been preserved. A grand memorial has been built at the place where Gandhi ji broke the salt law. Today people from all over the country and the world come to Gandhinagar to see Dandi Kutir.
The place, where Mahaparinirvana of the chief architect of our Constitution, Babasaheb Ambedkar, took place, was in a dilapidated condition for decades. Our government has converted this place, 5 Alipore Road in Delhi, into a National Memorial. ‘Panch Teerths’ related to the life of Babasaheb, in Mhow where he was born, in London where he lived, in Nagpur where he took initiation and his ‘samadhi’ at the Chaityabhoomi in Mumbai are also being developed. The Statue of Unity, the skyscraper statue of Sardar Saheb, responsible for the accession of more than 580 princely states to India, remains the pride of the country today. There is also a museum inside the Statue of Unity.
Many such places, be it the Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab, the memorial of Govind Guru Ji in Gujarat, the Man Mahal Museum in Varanasi in UP and the Museum of Christian Art in Goa, have been preserved. Another unique effort related to the museum has taken place in India. We have built a PM Museum dedicated to the journey and contribution of all the former Prime Ministers of the country in the capital Delhi. Today, people from all over the country are visiting the PM Museum to witness the development journey of India after independence. I would specially request our guests who have come here to visit this museum once.
Friends,
When a country starts preserving its heritage, another side of it emerges. This aspect is intimacy in relations with other countries. For example, India has preserved the holy relics after the Mahaparinirvana of Lord Buddha, from generation to generation. And today those holy relics are uniting crores of Buddhist followers not only in India but all over the world. We sent four holy relics to Mongolia on the occasion of Buddha Purnima last year. That occasion became a great festival of faith for the entire Mongolia.
The relics of Buddha which are in our neighboring country Sri Lanka were also brought here to Kushinagar on the occasion of Buddha Purnima. Similarly, the heritage of the holy relics of St. Queen Ketevan in Goa has also been preserved in India. I remember there was an atmosphere of national celebration when we sent the relics of St. Queen Ketevan to Georgia. On that day, many citizens of Georgia had gathered on the streets and it was a festive atmosphere. In other words, our heritage also becomes the source of global unity. And therefore, the role of our museums, which preserve this heritage, also increases further.
Friends,
Just as we add resources to the family for the future, similarly, we have to preserve our resources considering the whole earth as one family. I suggest that our museums should become active participants in these global efforts. Our earth has faced many natural calamities in the past centuries. Their memories and symbols are still present today. We should think in terms of setting up galleries of these symbols and pictures in a maximum number of museums.
We can also depict the changing picture of the Earth at different times. It will increase awareness of the environment among the people in times to come. I am told that space has also been created for the gastronomic experience in this expo. People will also get to experience dishes based on Ayurveda and Millets¸ i.e., ‘Shree Anna’ here.
With the efforts of India, both Ayurveda and Millets – ‘Shree Anna’ have become a global movement these days. We can also create new museums based on the journey of thousands of years of ‘Shree Anna’ and different flora. Such efforts will take this knowledge system to the coming generations and make them immortal.
Friends,
We will succeed in these efforts only when we make the preservation of historical things the nature of the country. Now the question is how the preservation of our heritage will become the nature of the common citizen of the country? Let me give you a small example. Why doesn't every family in India create a family museum of their own in their home? It should be about the people of the house and the information of his own family. Antiques and some special things of the elders of the house can be kept. The paper on which you write today seems normal to you. But the same piece of paper in your writing will become an emotional property after three-four generations. Similarly, our schools, various institutions and organizations must also have their own museums. Let's see how big and historical the capital will be prepared for the future.
The different cities of the country can also prepare projects like the City Museum in a modern form. Historical items related to those cities can be kept there. The old tradition of maintaining records by different sects will also help us a lot in this direction.
Friends,
I am happy that today museums are not only becoming a visiting place but also a career option for the youth. But I would like that we should not look at our youth only from the point of view of museum workers. These youth associated with subjects like history and architecture can become the medium of global cultural exchange. These youth can go to other countries, learn about different cultures of the world from the youth there and can also tell them about the culture of India. Their experience and association with the past will prove to be very effective in preserving the heritage of our country.
Friends,
Today, when we talk about common heritage, I would also like to talk about a common challenge. This challenge is smuggling and appropriation of artefacts. Countries with ancient culture like India have been struggling with this menace for hundreds of years. Many artefacts have been taken out of our country in an unethical manner before and after independence. We have to work together to stop this type of crime.
I am happy that now various countries have started returning our heritage to India amidst the growing reputation of India in the world. Around 240 ancient artefacts, be it the idol of Maa Annapurna stolen from Banaras, the idol of Mahishasura Mardini stolen from Gujarat, or the Nataraja idols made during the Chola Empire, have been brought back to India, whereas this number did not reach 20 for many decades before this. Smuggling of cultural artefacts from India has also reduced considerably in these nine years.
I urge art connoisseurs around the world, especially those associated with museums, to further increase cooperation in this field. There should not be any such artwork in any museum of any country, which has reached there in an unethical manner. We should make this a moral commitment for all the museums.
Friends,
I am sure we will continue to work on new ideas for the future while staying connected with the past. We will preserve the heritage and also create a new heritage. With this wish, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart!
DS/ VJ
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